I want to thank Second Sky books for providing me with an ARC copy of Bloodlust Bites. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Bloodlust Blues when I read it earlier this year, so I was eager to get my hands on the second book in the series.

Some of the storyline carries over from the last book, so I would highly recommend you start with the first.

Women are still being attacked and killed in Crimson, and the police are looking in the wrong direction. Now the killer has his sights set on Charley. If that wasn't enough, a wolf who has a history with Charley's friend Dog blows into town.

This was yet another action packed, never a dull moment book from Luanne Bennett!

There was some good character development in this book, especially Charley. She is still struggling to get to grips with her witchy abilities. Also, the romance between her and vampire Samuel is really hotting up!

An honourable mention goes to Candy here, a friend of Charley's mother and a mentor to her. She's genuinely one of my favourite characters, a former stripper and a powerful witch. She's definitely someone you'd want on your side in a fight!

As with the last book, it leaves a bit of intrigue at the end, making you wonder what's going to happen next.

Bloodlust Bites is a must if you love a book with a strong female lead and lots of supernatural shenanigans.

We rejoin Charley in Crimson while the loose threads from the first novel come to a forefront as the bodies continue to fall. When Charley's friends are implicated in the murders, she looks for unlikely allies to help her investigate the underside of Crimson and discovers the source of the deaths.

The characters continue to grow and evolve in this second novel. Charley learns more about her powers, the wolf pack expands and Samuel's past come to light. I look forward to seeing where this is all going.

This book is a continuation of the previous one, so I’d recommend you start there if you somehow ended up on this book review. This is a world where vampires, shifters, and witches are a regular occurrence and there is a little sizzle thrown into this book making it even better than the last.

Charley is still working on getting control of her powers here. Having just narrowly survived the last big bad, turns out they are still looking for the vampire who is murdering town members and stirring up conflict in a town here supernaturals are “normal.” Crimson, the town, has been terrorized by this killer and it seems to be getting closer to Charley, even framing her bartender. Surprise visits in the form of a lone wolf and the ever growing mystery of the vampire love interest for Charley all end up popping up in good and bad ways in this book.

It’s clear that Charley is still trying to figure out her path in life and while we get some resolution in her world, there’s oodles of growth still to come I’m sure. I am both confused and enamored with the witch support system she has as well as her misfit employees. For someone who tries to do so much good for the town, even jeopardizing her own safety, she somehow manages to fly under the radar for the most part. I hope the next book puts her in more of a position of power that she truly deserves.

Thank you Netgalley and Second Sky for the chance to read an ARC of Bloodlust bites by Luanne Bennett. This is the 2nd book in the Charley Underwood series, and picks up right where Bloodlust blues ended. Charley is trying to get control of her new powers, and her newest employee Tucker is still being threatened by her former employer. Someone is killing women in Crimson, and it points to Charley's bartender Beau.
I found the pacing much improved from the first book, and enjoyed getting to know the characters that were previously introduced as well as a few new ones. The ending sets up for the next book, and I am looking forward to reading it!

4.5 stars rounded up

I loved the first book and I was super excited to get into this one, however, at first it was not really what I expected and it was a bit hard to connect to the characters again. Eventually I pushed through and I am glad I did because the book contained everything I wanted.

This time there is another villain and Charley has to learn how to control her powers in order to defeat him and keep her friends safe. In order to do so, she has to take part in some crazy rituals, but those are not the only challenges and she will have to accept that she can't do everything alone. The romance was a bit less than I wanted, but it's there, I just feel like there was more chemistry in the first book.

All in all, if you liked the first volume, reading the 2nd one is totally worth it.

Bloodlust Bites" transports readers back to the town of Crimson.  A place where vampires, shifters, and humans converge amidst a backdrop of magic, turmoil, and intrigue. Charley returns to confront otherworldly dangers and age-old forces, all while safeguarding those she holds dear.

Bloodlust Bites continues from where Bloodlust Blues left off. The prior installment ended with human women being murdered in strange ways. Now, more women have been found dead, and female vampires are disappearing. Beau, an employee of Charley, is the prime suspect in the killings, and Charley is adamant about proving his innocence. She also endeavors to safeguard another employee haunted by her past. To do this effectively, Charley hesitantly taps into her magical abilities, aided by a society of witches. Yet, as dangers escalate, she comes to realize that her magic alone is insufficient, compelling her to strike a bargain with her enemy.

Bloodlust Bites held my attention from beginning to end. I found myself rapidly turning pages, keen to discover what lay ahead for Charley and her team.  Bloodlust Bites delivered a fast-paced story, woven with a mystery that kept me guessing. I wondered at the connection between disappearance of the vampires and the murders of the human females. As the plot unfolded, the connection became apparent. The identity of the culprit though surprising made sense given the circumstances. Although the mystery was resolved and the antagonist was handled, new questions emerged. I look forward to uncovering what the future holds for Charley and her companions, particularly Beau, who experienced a transformative event.

Similar to the previous installment, "Bloodlust Bites" offers an impeccable mix of action and magic, complemented by a touch of romance. It's an entertaining read that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of BLOODLUST BITES (Book 2 of the Charley Underwood urban fantasy series) by Luanne Bennett in exchange for an honest review. Even though Charlie and her friends have resolved the problem with people going missing, there’s still a few troublesome unresolved issues. Women are still being murdered in the woods; the two henchmen are doubling down on their search for Tucker, and Charley’s magic has become even more reliable and out of control. It all comes to a boil when the police arrest Charley’s good friend and bartender Beau for the murders. Now, Charley must identify the murderer, figure out a way to keep Tucker safe, and master her magic. The situation is dangerous for Charley and all of her friends.

I liked the book as well as the prior. I recommend this book to fans of urban fantasy featuring murder, magic, witches, psychics, shifters, vampires, murder, bars, contraband trafficking, and corrupt police officials.

#BloodlustBites #NetGalley

This series grew slowly on me when I read the first instalment and this one was a wild and entertaining ride I loved.
Charley is changing, growing into her powers (or at least getting better as trying to use them even if they’re quite unpredictable) and having a lot to do with thugs, mysterious strangers, and trying to solve the crimes that are targetting young women as one of her bartenders is accused.
That’s a urban fantasy according to my hear: humour, action, secrets, and plenty of twists.
Crimson is quite a weird place, a fascinating enclave full of paranormal people like vampires, werewolfes and witches. Just to list some.
A fast paced and highly entertaining story that I strongly recommend, don’t start in the evening if you don’t want to suffer from sleep deprivation.
I read the next one should be in March 2025, aargh such a long time to wait.
Many thanks to Second Sky for this arc, all opinions are are mine.

I do love Charley and this series is one of my favs! This book mainly focuses on Charley and her powers. Yes, we have the story of Tucker, her ex-boss, dead people but Charley really came into her own here. Although I may need to have words with Luanne after the scare of one character, I mean dust!!!!! really!!!!

It was interesting to see outside Crimson vampires and how they affect the small town. Murphy had an extra bug up his ass in this book and I wasn't and am not a fan of his character is behaving right now - he needs to look outside the box!!

The witch's trial...well that was some psychedelic trip!! I mean why did it have to be spiders!!!!!!!

Dog and Candy are, still by far, my favs in this book and I was hoping for a different direction for Dog with a love interest but to be honest I quite enjoy how it's playing out. This book is more about the characters, not the vicious murders that are happening or the dead people on Charley's porch. It's the lives of the people in the Stag and the Cauldron. They bring the book to life and they bring Crimson to life and worryingly they bring the baddies to life! I hope for more of Patrick and Samuel in the next book ;)

Luanne has created this fantastic series, I love her writing. I love her world-building I am so excited to see what happens next. I mean Beau - what the heck and that "present" Charley got....what the heck does that mean! OH MY DAYS!!!

Bloodlust Bites is a fast paced urban fantasy that's set in the fictional town of Crimson, where you'll rub shoulders with vampires, werewolves and shifters. And it's where you'll find the bar owned by Charley Underwood. She's no ordinary girl, shes a witch and a demon slayer by chance. She's sharp, feisty and a great character to become invested in.

Brilliant world building, flourishing characters and a plot that delivers - what more could you ask for?

I'm really enjoying the series and I'm hoping book three is imminent.

Charley is a witch and a bar owner. She didn't know she was a witch until recently and now has to learn how to get and use her powers. Meanwhile bad things are going on and she needs to help fix them.
I love the town and characters. There are the witches, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters and humans all living in 1 town and trying to coexist with each other.
Thanks to NetGalley and Second Sky for the ebook to review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley but this review is my own.
With Charley trying to get to grips with her magic, things don't look good for the town of Crismon, with people going missing and turning up dead, Charley takes it upon herself to find out what's going on and who is behind the attacks, especially when one of her friends is accused of one of the murders.
Charley with the help of her friends, a rather interesting vampire and a bit of help from the local coven, she finds herself making deals with people she swore she wouldn't. I'm really enjoying this series, I look forward to seeing what comes next.
I had to knock 1 star of the rating as a few scenes I found to be pretty bad if you have arachnophobia. But overall a really great read.

What a ride; this was such a good follow-up book and the action keeps going. Charley is still learning about her magic and gets a crash course without much guidance this time around. The Squad continues to have her complete certain rituals and then tells her to work through whatever comes her way. I still love that Charley does not immediately become all-powerful or immediately know how to access and use her magic. There is still a learning curve and that is refreshing in a genre that thrives on the MC becoming the greatest magic user ever!

We were teased with Samuel and the hint of a romance at the end of book 1 and I have been chomping at the bit for more of him and the cat. Samuel is still a minor character in terms of page time, but the time we do have is completely worth it. <spoiler>I am not completely sold on the two of them already being in a relationship and how quickly some things seemed to progress though. I feel slightly cheated out of the relationship building. While the tension was there, we didn't get all the awkwardness of the relationship's beginnings. Insta-love will never be my thing but tangent over. </spoiler>

I do love this series. I find the pacing to be a bit off occasionally though. We are either in the heat of everything happening or in a holding pattern. This book was much more focused on moving relationships further and getting Charley her magic. We missed out on some of the players from book 1 and did not have nearly as many scenes in the bar with just regular life happening. I continued to forget that these two books only happen together in a short period of time. All in all, I am here for the action and adventure and am looking forward to finding out who the serial killer is!

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A direct sequel to Bloodlust Blues, readers need to have read the first novel to understand who is who and what is happening. It jumps straight into the action so it's worth rereading Bloodlust Blues if its been a while.
Charly was just as fiesty as ever as she had to navigate troublesome customers in the bar, and a serial killer who was getting too close. I loved the dynamics of her relationship with Dog and his pack, Candy and vampire Samual.
It was fast paced, full of magic, imagination and sass.

This is an urban fantasy series that has something for everyone. Witches, Werewolves, and Vampires are just the tip of the iceberg in Crimson.
While this could be read as a standalone, I think you would get more out of the relationships between the characters if you read book 1.

We pick up right where Book 1 ended, with Charley trying to work her bar and get a handle on her magical powers. Her friend Candy is helping her out and she is one of my favorite characters. You never know what she is going to say or do, and many times she had me laughing out loud..

I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters better, and watching them come together to figure out whats going on in Crimson. Its fast paced, and has plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat waiting to see whats going to happen next

I really really enjoyed this one, just as much as book one in the series. In fact, I think even more. Charley is back, as sassy and stubborn as she was previously, and I absolutely love some of the secondary characters in this series such as Candy the retired pole dancing witch. I also love the fact that - despite the romance heating up for book two - friendship remains in at the centre of Charley's world. And she really does have some kick ass friends! I did appreciate the addition of a little heat though as things between Charley and Samuel seem to go from 10 - 500 in the turn of a page but it's certainly not an unwelcome development.

The pace is great in this series and we are thrown straight into the action which follows on from book one. This is the only drawback I could see, as I am not sure Bloodlust Bites would work as a standalone book which is sometimes possible with a series. The character building and action in Bloodlust Bites is built on the strong foundations from Bloodlust Blues, which is absolutely fine as both books are great reads!

Charley and the residents of Crimson, Ga are still reeling from their last adventure. Not least of which was the late coming magic Charley now has! But she's not had much chance to hone her skills, what with the Bar, the Blood Co-op and the potential romance with Sam, an enigmatic vampire!

It looks like a serial killer has moved to Crimson and vampires and humans alike are not safe. The bumbling local cops seem to have their eyes on playboy Beau. Charley is also hiding a female from her villainous ex and then there is the lothario shifter who's making eyes at every female in the area!

The story is fast paced and the action comes thick and fast. Whilst it helps with pacing the story and moving it along, giving it a sense of the danger looming, I sometimes thought that Charley and co just needed a wee break to gather their thoughts and maybe get to grips with new developments.

It was nice to get to know Sam a bit more and even though he and Charley kind of go from tentative to hot and flaming in no time flat, I thoroughly enjoyed their blossoming romance!

Plenty of humour and I loved the little found-family that Charley has made for herself.

Bloodlust bites - Luanne Bennett ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Charley Underwood book 2. Release date August 9, 2024.
Luanne Bennett writes books about all kinds of dangerous things. Creatures, witches, vampires, shifters, bikers, bartenders, strippers and things I don't have a name for.
Her main characters are snarky, stubborn, courageous and independent women who won't let anyone lead them by the nose. Yet, they know when it's time to lean on their friends and fight for those same friends against unimaginable odds. No angst driven wilting flowers here.
Action packed Urban fantasy with a lot of mystery, thriller and even a tad bit of romance thrown in. This is one of the best authors out there right now if you are a fan of urban fantasy, witchy, paranormal, vampire and shifter anything.
Charley is a bar owner in the small town of Crimson. A bit of a super powerful unlearned witch and a magnet for trouble. If it's not the police, it's the vampires or the local witches that will make Charley learn her magic (willing or not). Then there's a serial killer that nails women to trees. The police have a suspect but Charley knows that they are wrong. With her friends freedom on the line, it's up to her to find the murder or die trying.
I highly recommend this book and series. Absolutely some of the best Urban fantasy out there.
Thank you Luanne, second sky and NetGalley for my copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#UrbanFantasy #LuanneBennettBooks #newrelease #paranormalmystery #paranormalwomansfiction #paranormalfantasy #fantasy #VampireBooks #witch #ShifterBooks #bookseries #bookstagram #secoundsky #NetGalley #bookrecommendations #book

I liked the first book. The second was soooooo great. I’m really enjoying this series and its cast of characters. I so need to know what is going to happen next. Charley is such a great character.

Really loved this book as well follow Charley further into the dealings in Crimson. Lots of action, slightly creepy and a bunch of die hard friends to help her on her way. What's not to love